Under the Spotlight in this latest blog is Mark Tansey. Frontman for Distorted Vision and Reality Asylum (with Kaz) and well-kent face on the punk scene. I wanted to ask Mark how he took the step from being one of the most familiar faces “down the front” at punk gigs to leaping up onto the stage to front not one but two bands.
Gigs, gigs, gigs
Mark, you are a familiar face at punk gigs, I’m sure anyone that has been to a punk gig in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Livingston, Bathgate or Fife will recognise you. You are one of these people that really supports the bands – goes to the gigs, gets the merchandise. If you were to estimate, how many gigs have you been to?
Gigs I’ve been at are definitely in the high triple figures if not 4 digits.
Who is your “go-to”/favourite live band, the one that never disappoints, and why?
The Angelic Upstarts never fail to put on a Great show. Mensi & the lads are always well up for it. They’ve played the Livi Punx Xmas nite for the last 4/5 yrs & Mensi loves Mrs T’s homemade Scones & Flapjacks! Another favourite has to be ma wee bro’s band Happy Spastics, another band that don’t disappoint.
Probably an impossible question, but what is the best gig you’ve been to, what makes it your top gig?
PiL in Glasgow on the “That What is Not” Tour always stands out for me as a favourite gig, can’t really explain why but the played a blinder & I’ve still got the album I bought that nite.
Recommend a current band or bands that we should make an effort to go and see, tell us what makes them special (feel free to include yourselves)
Bands I’d recommend people see, The Sentence, The Signal, In Evil Hour & the new band I’m in, Reality Asylum just because we’re totally different to anything anybody else is doing. It’s Me & ma wee sis “Kaz” on Vocals. An Anarcho/Anti-establishment/Class War feel. Our 1st gig is in Nice & Sleazy on 24th August.
From down the front to front-line
So, talking of yourselves. As I’ve said, you are a well-known face in the crowds, how did you make the decision to take that leap onto the stage. You’ve really gone for it with not just one band but two?
As to how I left the crowd & took to the stage, Drew our guitarist approached me after an Upstarts gig in Tower Music rooms in Livi in December 2016 & asked if I fancied frontline in a band he was trying to put together. I said yes before he’d even finished the sentence, that’s the power of alcohol for U. A few line-up changes in the 1st year but our line up has been settled for the last 2 years. I’ve known Drew & his big brother Eck over 35 years, goin’ back to the UK Anarchist days in Livi. I was in a couple of bands, Internal Chaos & Horrorshow back then from age 15 to 17 but started work & never had the time to balance things.
Does playing in bands impact your ability to attend the gigs as a music fan? How do you balance the two?
I don’t find it difficult balancing playing & going to gigs at all tho. Most of the gigs we’ve played I would have been down the front anyway. I thought I knew pretty much everyone before I was in both bands but I’ve got to meet all sorts of bands & their following sincefFronting Distorted Vision & more recently Reality Asylum.
Distorted Vision
First up, Distorted Vison, tell me more about the birth of Distorted Vision, the influences on the band and your relationship with Drew, I know he is based down south, how do you make that work?
Like I said I’ve known Drew & Big Eck for years. I followed the UK Anarchists who later became Tsi Charna back in the darker Livi Punx & Skins days of the early 80s. That was when Livi had a terrible reputation for violence, always fighting with other Punx & Skins. I liked the Anarchist ethos so was more drawn in that direction. As for influences, I Like a wide variety of Punk bands. I’ve not got a closed mind to other genres of music but it’s 99.9% Punk for me.
We knew from the start we’d probably only have one practice a month as Drew flies up from London after work on Friday & heads back down on Sunday so we’d practice on Saturday. Drew would post tunes he was working on up on our Soundcloud account & I’d either write the lyrics or tie lyrics I’d already written to the music. Alternatively, I’d send him lyrics & he’d write the music round them & again fire them on Soundcloud.
I’d practice the songs at home so when we were all together, they were already built. The same thing with the bass lines, Drew would video record himself playing the bass-lines & post them on our YouTube channel so our bass player at the time could hear and see how it went. Most bands practice once a week but we were once a month.
Our 1st gig was in the Windsor Hotel in Kirkcaldy after about 8 or 9 practices & we’ve been asked back loads since then. Played Fife Punkfest there this & last year & (I’m) back again in December with Reality Asylum supporting Berlin Blackouts.
Who else makes up the Distorted Vision live band?
We’ve got Cameron Stevens on Bass. He plays guitar with the Dignities & is also the original guitarist for Livi Punk band Barbed Wire which is why “Weapons of War” isn’t a cover. Can’t be if the original guitarist is playing the bass on it. Our drummer is Drew’s nephew Lewis Wilson who played with Nine Bullets for a while.
Do you have a favourite Distorted Vision track, if so which one and why?
I’d have to pick 2 I think, ”Weapons of War” & “Blind”. As to why these songs? “WoW” was always a favourite of mine from the Barbed Wire days ,it’s just a brilliant song & we play it fast & angry live. “Blind” is a song Drew & I co-wrote 1 nite over Messenger & Soundcloud but it was called “No Choice”. The Lyrics were totally different because we were trying out a 2nd singer & we’d practice at her house on a Friday nite using the trax from Soundcloud. She listened to the music for No Choice & came up with the 1st line ”Wake Up its Time” & I wrote the song round that. It’s been “Blind” ever since. The crowd seem to like those 2 as well.
Your album Blind is available now, what does the future hold for Distorted Vision?
Play as many gigs as we can & when we’ve got time get some more recording done. There’s 3 or 4 new tracks in the process just now so hopefully in the near future get them done.
Reality Asylum
In Reality Asylum, you share the vocals with Kaz, tell me more about that band how you would explain the difference between the two bands to the layman?
Reality Asylum…this is my baby. I’ve loved 2 on the frontline, male/female since the early Crass, Dirt, Anarcho 80s days. I knew ma wee sister Kaz was the perfect choice, She’s the Scalpel to my Chainsaw & we built the band round that. As with DV, we’ve had a few line-up changes but where we are now & who’s in the band couldn’t ask for better band mates. Me & Kaz on frontline, Davie McHarg of The Disturbed & Hicks on Guitar, Ramie Coyle of The Clampdown radio show fame (on bass) & David Leybourn, Psycho Therapy on Drums.
Distorted Vision were called Bin Kicking Anarcho OI! by a good friend Iain Influx from Armoured Flu Unit but we’re something different all together. I write the lyrics so they’re definitely on the Anarcho, Class War, social injustice side of the fence. We’re angry about the state of the World & I think it shows in our music.
Davie our guitarist writes all the music, the man is a Wizard. Ramie & David on Bass & Drums bring a heavy rhythm section & I think Me & Kaz have got a great rapport between us. She’ll go up a notch & keep it tuneful when I’m screaming my lungs out, then we’ll harmonise the next track. Our 1st gigs an all-dayer in Nice & Sleazy in Aug then in Banshee in Edinburgh with “War all the time” in Oct, then the Windsor Hotel with “Berlin Blackouts” in Dec. Just confirmed a few days ago with The Varukers in Edinburgh next year.
What are the plans (if any) for an album/single release from Reality Asylum?
I definitely want to put some miles in with Reality Asylum. We had band practice last Sunday & were just saying we need to record this year, a 4 or 6 track EP, even if it’s a live recording from the desk, if it’s decent quality maybe get it out there so people can hear us. We’ve got a FB Page with practice vidz if anyone fancies giving us a listen bearing in mind they’re from a month or 2 ago now so the songs are tighter & much more refined.
Thanks a million to Mark for his time. Head over to both bands Facebook pages for more information on the gigs Mark mentioned and to get your hands on a copy of the Distorted Vision album